Jesmar Gafa will represent Malta once again at the Coupe Intercontinentale des Amateurs, which takes place on Saturday 24 January at the Vincennes Racetrack in Paris. The prestigious international event brings together fourteen amateur drivers from different countries and is staged at one of the most recognisable venues in European harness racing.
The official draw was confirmed on Friday, with Gafa set to partner Ioup La Boum, an eight year old French gelding trained by Stephane Provoost. The Maltese driver will start from position eleven, lining up in the second row behind the autostart. Ioup La Boum returns to competition following a six month absence and comes into the race after a series of modest results, which offers limited recent form to assess ahead of the contest.
The Coupe Intercontinentale des Amateurs is scheduled as the ninth race on the card and is expected to begin at approximately 6.10 pm local time. The race will be contested over 2100 metres on the outer track and carries a total prize fund of 15000 euro. Gafa’s participation continues Malta’s presence at international amateur level events and adds to his experience at the Paris circuit.
Meanwhile, Maltese representation was also acknowledged at Vincennes during Friday’s meeting, where the Malta Racing Club honoured the winner of the Prix de La Valette. The race is organised by the French Association Trotteur Français as a tribute to Malta. On behalf of the Malta Racing Club, Tony Demanuele presented a commemorative trophy to Alice Bourgoin, the driver of Hiatus, who claimed victory in the race.
The presentation took place in the presence of Max Zammit, chief executive of EquestriMalta, and special guest Andrew Pace. Pace is among the few Maltese drivers to have won at Vincennes and was marking the twenty fifth anniversary of his success at the venue. He achieved that victory on 27 January 2001 when he won the Prix de Sees aboard the French gelding Espoir du Terme, a horse that was later imported to Malta and enjoyed a lengthy racing career.
The occasion highlighted Malta’s continued links with the Vincennes Racetrack and its ongoing involvement in international harness racing events.
